San Diego, CA
San Diego community marks one-year anniversary of assault on Israel
San Diego residents joined with communities around the world Monday to solemnly commemorate the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and sparked a war that has killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza.
Thousands of local community leaders, Jewish residents and their neighbors gathered at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in La Jolla to mourn those killed in the surprise attack by Hamas, which the U.S. government and others have labeled a terrorist organization.
Meanwhile just a few miles away at UC San Diego, hundreds of pro-Palestinian students hosted their own vigil to call for a cease-fire and memorialize the 41,000 people killed in Israel’s military response in Gaza following the Oct. 7 attack.
The Jewish family center event appeared similar to a vigil held last year in the immediate aftermath of the attack, with thousands of attendees bowing their heads in prayer, waving Israeli national flags and sharing stories of friends and family who live in the war-torn area.
Mayor Todd Gloria shared on stage how the local community has a two-decade-long relationship with its sister community in Israel, Sha’ar Hanegev.
Before Ofir Libstein, the mayor of the Israeli community and Gloria’s personal friend, was killed in the attack, local members of the Jewish community would host camps together, organize college exchange programs and share their homes with one another’s families. On the morning of the attack, Gloria said he texted Libstein to check on him and his family. There was never a reply.
“All of us have very personal connections to the tragedies and horrors of that particular day,” Gloria said during an emotional speech at the event. “And today is a day to remember all of those individuals and to commit our city to continuing to stand in solidarity with those who were killed or lost.”
Prior to the stage program, the event included various experiential and reflection opportunities, such as a wall of remembrance, where attendees could see the photos of those killed in the attack, and displays of San Diego’s response in the wake of the tragedy. An interactive display allowed people to write messages of solidarity for the roughly 100 people who are believed to still be held captive by Hamas.
Ayal Adamit, a San Diego resident, said he brought his 4-year-old son to the event not only to teach him more about the attack on their ancestral land, but to also have him experience a sense of community among Jewish people mourning together.
“It’s just about being here and being a part of the larger family, the larger community and standing together,” Adamit said. “I’m sure there’s many people here that have never stepped foot in Israel, but they’re still here showing support … and believe we have a right to exist.”
Heidi Gantwerk, president of the Jewish Federation of San Diego, reminded people in the audience that coming together on nights like Monday strengthens the local Jewish community as well as the resolve of the Israeli people thousands of miles away.
“We will surely face enduring challenges and new battles. But we must and we will be strong,” Gantwerk said. “While we may not be quite out the other side, we know that we are a community of action and strength. A community that tries — through action — to turn pain into purpose.”
Earlier Monday, about 150 people from the Jewish community and supporters held a vigil in front of UC San Diego’s Geisel Library. The names of those who were taken hostage and those who were killed were read aloud, bringing tears to the eyes of some people.
“This is sad and infuriating,” said Eli Berman, a UC San Diego economics professor who attended.
History professor Tal Golan added, “This is not just for the Jewish people. We also recognize the many others who died.”
The university is investigating a complaint from a woman who said that an unidentified person spat at her during the Jewish vigil, a university spokesperson said. No further information was available.
Later that evening, about 300 pro-Palestinian supporters held a vigil for the lives lost on the other side of the Israel-Gaza border and called for an end to what they described as Israel’s human rights violations in Gaza.
The majority wore face masks or kaffiyehs. Some held signs that said, “Long Live the Student Intifada” and “Lebanon and Palestine Together Until Victory.” The crowd chanted: “Free, free Palestine.”
The school had earlier received pushback from numerous community members who wrote to the school urging Chancellor Pradeep Khosla not to allow the event to happen on the anniversary of the Hamas attack.
An unidentified speaker said the university allowed them to stage the vigil in the free speech zone in front of the library.
A person was fatally struck by a train in the Cardiff neighborhood of Encinitas early Wednesday afternoon, a sheriff’s official said.
The collision was reported just after 1 p.m. in the area of Chesterfield Drive at San Elijo Avenue, Lt. Joe Berry said.
The Sheriff’s Office’s Railroad Enforcement Unit is investigating the incident.
Chesterfield was briefly closed between San Elijo and Coast Highway 101 as first responders worked, but the road has since reopened.
In a post on social media platform X, the North County Transit District warned people to expect significant delays for Coaster service. Tracks were closed between Solana Beach and Encinitas stations, it said, and a Breeze bus bridge would be available for passengers between those stations.
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SAN DIEGO (CNS) — Attendance at Balboa Park’s museums are down 34% on average since paid parking went into effect inside San Diego’s urban park, according to data released Tuesday by the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership.
In the analysis released Tuesday, the partnership found that between January and March of this year, attendance is down by that average of 34% compared to the previous year, with some institutions dropping by 60% over the same period.
“We’ve appreciated the city’s recent willingness to listen and take initial steps in response to community concerns,” Balboa Park Cultural Partnership Executive Director Peter Comiskey said. “However, the latest data make clear that those changes are not reversing the decline in visitation, and the impacts on our institutions are becoming more serious. We are urging additional action by our regional leaders before potentially irreversible damages take hold, and jobs and beloved programs or even organizations are lost.”
The report comes out as Mayor Todd Gloria’s draft budget for fiscal year 2027 proposes slashing arts funding by more than $11 million as a way to grapple with a structural deficit of more than $118 million.
Some of the park’s larger institutions predict more than $10 million lost in revenue from the lowered attendance alone, and jobs and program losses are a real threat, Comiskey said.
Visitors to Balboa Park were asked to pay to park their vehicles in city lots starting in January, breaking a tradition of more than 100 years of the city’s crown jewel being free for those in private vehicles.
San Diego residents are now able to purchase a monthly, quarterly or annual parking pass at a discounted rate by visiting sandiego.thepermitportal.com/. Residents can pay $30 for a monthly parking pass, $60 for a quarterly pass or $150 for an annual one. Non-residents can pay $40, $120 or $300 for the same levels.
The fiscal year 2026 budget passed last summer anticipated $15.5 million in parking revenue from Balboa Park. That number assumed $12.5 million in fee parking in Balboa Park and at least $3 million from zoo parking.
A revised figure presented to the City Council in November instead found the non-zoo parking might bring in just $2.9 million, or a decrease of $9.6 million from initial estimates.
The city originally planned to begin charging for parking in October, but delays prevented that and three months of revenue from happening. Expected parking rates have dropped as well.
The parking passes come under three pricing tiers, Levels 1, 2, and 3, based on demand and proximity:
— Level 1 lots, located in the core of the Central Mesa area, would be subject to the highest rate — $16 per day and $10 for up to four hours for nonresidents and $8 per day and $5 for up to four hours for city residents. These include Space Theater, Casa de Balboa, Alcazar, Organ Pavilion, Bea Evenson, Palisades and South Carousel;
— Level 2 lots would be priced at $10 per day for nonresidents and $5 per day for residents. These include Pepper Grove, Federal, Upper Inspiration Point and Marston Point;
— Level 3 lots would also be priced at $10 per day with the first three hours free, with a resident rate of $5 per day with the first three hours free. This includes the lower Inspiration Point lot.
The Office of the Independent Budget Analyst estimated revenues in this fiscal year from the non-zoo parking would be close to $4 million, still well short of plans.
The zoo, which operates on an independent lease from the city, will allow members to continue to park for free. For non-members and non-residents, general parking is $16 per vehicle, per day, $44 daily for oversized vehicles per day. City of San Diego resident rates are half that.
Revenues from the parking fees paid within the park must be spent on Balboa Park. The funds can support ongoing maintenance, infrastructure, and visitor amenities and may include road repaving, lighting upgrades, sign improvements and landscaping.
Gloria backed off some of the parking fees in February, citing overwhelming negative feedback.
City residents who have verified their address will again be able to park for free in the Pepper Grove, Federal, Upper Inspiration Point, Lower Inspiration Point, Marston Point, Palisades and Bea Evenson lots.
“Good governing also means listening. I’ve heard from residents and from members of the City Council about how this program is affecting San Diegans who love Balboa Park as much as I do,” Gloria said.
“That feedback matters, and it’s why I am eliminating parking fees for city residents in select lots in the park. This change will reduce revenue, and I have received a commitment from the City Council president as well as other council members to identify other service-level reductions in order to keep the budget balanced.”
Verified San Diego residents will still be charged to park in premium lots such as the Space Theater, Casa de Balboa, Alcazar, Organ Pavilion and South Carousel lots. The cost is $5 for up to four hours or $8 for a full day. Enforcement will now end at 6 p.m., instead of 8 p.m.
More than 3,000 San Diegans have registered to be verified for the resident free parking program, and the city has collected nearly $700,000 for operations and maintenance in Balboa Park.
Despite these changes, Comiskey and the cultural partnership said more must be done before summer, busy season for the park and the museums and cultural institutions within.
“The data show we are at a critical moment,” Comiskey said. “As we approach the summer tourism season, we need a clear, region-wide recovery solution that restores accessibility, rebuilds public trust, and sends a strong `welcome back’ message to residents and visitors alike.”
Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.
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